Veteran rock star reveals learning disability that has made making music ‘like climbing Everest’

U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr has revealed he has a learning disability that makes counting beats in music feel as difficult as climbing Everest.

The 63-year-old admitted he has dyscalculia, which makes counting, addition and any mathematical skill extremely difficult.

The condition, which affects around six per cent of people in Britain, can cause challenges in carrying out calculations, managing time, finances and even keeping pace.

The musician told Times Radio: ‘I’ve always known there was something wrong with the way I deal with numbers. I am numerically challenged.”

“And I recently realized that I have dyscalculia… so I can’t add, I can’t count.

‘I had to find ways to do this, and counting bars is like climbing Everest.

‘And sometimes when people see me playing, they say, ‘You look pained.’ It hurts me because I’m trying to count the bars.’

The star revealed that after years of struggling with grades, he was recently diagnosed with a learning disability.

U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr has revealed he has a learning disability that makes ‘counting bars’ akin to ‘climbing Everest’

The 63-year-old admitted he has dyscalculia, which makes counting, addition and other math skills extremely difficult

The condition is closely linked to dyslexia, which makes it difficult to read, write and spell. In fact, 60 percent of people with dyslexia also have difficulty with math.

Research into the cause of dyscalculia lags around 30 years behind research into dyslexia, according to the British Dyslexia Association.

But experts say that the lack of number sense is related to the function of the brain’s connectivity center, the intraparietal sulcus, and the anterior lobe, which deals with reasoning.

This suggests it may be hereditary, but could also be linked to developmental disorders such as fetal alcohol syndrome – a lifelong condition that occurs when a mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy.

It is estimated that a quarter of the population has difficulty learning math, but this is not always due to dyscalculia.

It can also be caused by external problems, such as a traumatic learning experience related to math or absenteeism from school.

Take That star Robbie Williams has also previously opened up about his experiences with dyslexia and dyscalculia.

The 50-year-old said phone numbers even give him anxiety.

In one Instagram post in June 2023 he said: ‘About a month ago I was with some new friends and offered to pay for lunch.

“There was an option to leave a 15 percent tip, a 20 percent tip or 25 percent. I couldn’t elaborate on any of them.

‘I started sweating. I have the amount wrong. I figured it out and eventually had to ask for help. My new friends were really cool about it.

“I wasn’t ashamed.”

Singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, ambassador for the charity Dyscalculia Network, has two sons who were diagnosed with the learning disability by an educational psychologist at primary school.

The organization has warned that millions of people across the country are likely to unknowingly have the condition.

Experts say early identification of the learning disability is essential to helping young people develop number sense.